Dallas Area Rapid Transit - Buses

Buses

In 2006, DART operates 120 fixed-regular bus routes and several circular and shuttle routes. There are 32 local routes, which serve downtown Dallas. Some locals link the suburbs with downtown Dallas. There are 11 express routes which ferry passengers between two areas with limited or no stops in between. These utilize HOV lanes on freeways when possible. There are 29 suburban routes, which link the suburban neighborhoods of DART to transit centers. DART has 18 crosstown routes which run through Dallas and its suburbs, but not downtown. The final fixed route category are the 30 rail-feeder routes that start and/or end at rail stations.

Most trips in the DART system are carried by the bus system. In the 1st quarter of 2010, DART had 125,500 bus trips per average weekday out of a total of 194,700 trips.

DART numbers its bus routes according to the type of route:

• Local routes, serving downtown: 1-183
• Express routes, limited-stop service using larger vehicles with reclining seats: 200s
• "Suburban" routes, local routes originating at a transit center: 300s
• Crosstown routes, local routes connecting widely separated areas: 400s
• Rail feeder routes, local routes originating at a rail station: 500s

In addition to the above regular fixed routes, DART will also contract with its neighbors or businesses and run circulators, like the Southern Methodist University or NorthPark Center circulators or shuttles for Texas Instruments or UT Southwestern Medical Center. The circulator routes are given number in the 700 range, while the shuttles are listed in the 800s.

DART runs its bus system similar to the hub and spoke model that some airlines use. DART has several bus-only facilities, which include transit centers, transfer centers, transfer locations, and Park & Rides.

DART has 7 transit centers, which are:

• Addison Transit Center in Addison, a future rail station on the Cotton Belt in the 2030 plan
• J.B. Jackson Transit Center in Dallas
• Lake Ray Hubbard Transit Center in Garland
• North Irving Transit Center in Irving (reopens December 3rd, 2012)
• Red Bird Transit Center in Dallas
• South Garland Transit Center in Garland
• Jack Hatchell Transit Center in Plano

There are 5 transfer locations/centers in the DART bus system, which are:

• Bernal/Singleton Transfer Location in Dallas, a possible future rail station on the west rail line toward Grand Prairie in DART's 2030 plan
• Cockrell Hill Transfer Location in Cockrell Hill
• East Transfer Center in downtown Dallas
• Malcolm X Boulevard Transfer Location in south Dallas
• West Transfer Center in downtown Dallas

Finally, DART has three Park and Ride locations:

• Glenn Heights Park and Ride in Glenn Heights
• Rowlett Park and Ride in Rowlett, a future station on the Blue Line extension
• Northwest Plano Park and Ride off the Dallas North Tollway just north of Spring Creek Parkway in Plano

In addition, to make transfers easier, most rail stations act as hubs for DART buses.

On October 2012, DART introduced a new fleet of 14 to 17-passenger buses for its on-call & Flex services, and beginning on October 22nd, some select bus routes that are less-traveled. Beginning in 2013, DART would replace most of bus fleet with NABI 40LFW buses running off CNG fuel. Voted unanimously, by state government to rapidly revise to a clean-air fleet over their existing diesel buses.